Catch da Flava Radio - A League of Our Own
For our May 24th episode of Health Talks Youth Radio, host Travis chatted with us about the movie “A
League of Our Own”. Set during the second world war, the movie showcases a feisty and indomitable
league of female baseball players that were slated to play in the major leagues as men were shipped of
to war. Filling in the void, the women prove themselves to be just as capable, just as talented, and just
as dramatic. Tension flares between the two sisters who come to the league together, Dottie and Kit,
with younger sister Kit resentful that she always lives in the shadows of her sister’s effortless
excellence. Finally with an opportunity to prove herself, she does whatever it takes to remove herself
from the limelight of her sister’s success. Employing women from different cultural backgrounds from
the city to the country, and a dysfunctional but endearing former baseball player turned coach, the
movie shows that women have a place in the history of major league sports.
In chatting about the movie, we look at issues when it comes to gender and sports. While chatting, we see that gender unnecessarily plays a large role when it comes to the legitimacy of whether men or women should be in the major leagues. When it comes down to it, if there is a market for it, then women would have a place in major league sports. That’s why we struggle to see any women in major league sports, according to the discussion. But considering that many of the women only played the game as a past time and were still phenomenal enough to make it to the major leagues, it really goes to show that sports is really just an industry that should be merited on ability rather than gender, which doesn’t really logically make sense to take into consideration when it comes to who should play sports.
We also reflect on whether the viewpoints of today are diferent than the viewpoints of then. When observing the women in this movie, it’s clear that a lot of them were viewed as “emotional” and “soft” even as they made it to the major leagues- at least, that was portrayed often in the movie. The strongest female figure and protagonist of the film Dottie still chooses to leave the league after her husband comes back to war, willing to abandon everything she loves and enjoys when he returns, a testament to the culture that she would feel inclined to have to make a sacrifice, instead of being able to do both. To the credit of her husband in the movie, they end up going back and she is allowed to play the very last game, with her husband whole-heartedly supporting her from the crowd, proud to tell anyone who would listen that his wife was the star of the game.
In the end, the women are indicted into the baseball hall of fame and had been in major league sports for over a decade, a positive highlight to a rather dark time in human history. The owners of the teams wanted to end the season after one year when they realized the Americans were going to win the war and that the men would be returning, not seeing a reason to keep the women on. Thanks to one supportive character, he convinced the owner to keep them on, to allow these women to continue to play the game they love to play. Due to this, it went on for a few more years, and continues to be a lasting legacy in the history of major league sports.
We’d like to thank our guest panelist for being on air to talk about this phenomenal sports movie that had great comedic moments, sure to entertain and educate an audience.
In chatting about the movie, we look at issues when it comes to gender and sports. While chatting, we see that gender unnecessarily plays a large role when it comes to the legitimacy of whether men or women should be in the major leagues. When it comes down to it, if there is a market for it, then women would have a place in major league sports. That’s why we struggle to see any women in major league sports, according to the discussion. But considering that many of the women only played the game as a past time and were still phenomenal enough to make it to the major leagues, it really goes to show that sports is really just an industry that should be merited on ability rather than gender, which doesn’t really logically make sense to take into consideration when it comes to who should play sports.
We also reflect on whether the viewpoints of today are diferent than the viewpoints of then. When observing the women in this movie, it’s clear that a lot of them were viewed as “emotional” and “soft” even as they made it to the major leagues- at least, that was portrayed often in the movie. The strongest female figure and protagonist of the film Dottie still chooses to leave the league after her husband comes back to war, willing to abandon everything she loves and enjoys when he returns, a testament to the culture that she would feel inclined to have to make a sacrifice, instead of being able to do both. To the credit of her husband in the movie, they end up going back and she is allowed to play the very last game, with her husband whole-heartedly supporting her from the crowd, proud to tell anyone who would listen that his wife was the star of the game.
In the end, the women are indicted into the baseball hall of fame and had been in major league sports for over a decade, a positive highlight to a rather dark time in human history. The owners of the teams wanted to end the season after one year when they realized the Americans were going to win the war and that the men would be returning, not seeing a reason to keep the women on. Thanks to one supportive character, he convinced the owner to keep them on, to allow these women to continue to play the game they love to play. Due to this, it went on for a few more years, and continues to be a lasting legacy in the history of major league sports.
We’d like to thank our guest panelist for being on air to talk about this phenomenal sports movie that had great comedic moments, sure to entertain and educate an audience.
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